Focal an Lae #277
The Word of the Day in Irish
Word: contae (KOHN-tay, KOON-tay) [konteː, kuːnteː]
Meaning: contae = county
Usage:
- Contae na Gaillimhe (... nuh GAHL-yih-vuh) [... nə gal′əv′ə] = County Galway
- Contae Chiarraí (... HYEE-uh-ree) [... x′iːəriː] = County Kerry
History: Classical Modern Irish “cunntaoi” comes from Anglo-Norman “cuntee”, from Old French “conte” (territory of a count),
from Medieval Latin “comitatus”, from Latin “comes, comit-” (companion, i.e., of a king; literally, 'one who goes with'),
from Indo-European *kom (with) and *ei- (to go). The obvious cognate is “county”.